It is common practice in the welding industry to mount a welder onto an undercarriage having roller wheels and/or casters so that the welder can be transported to different locations. The undercarriage typically includes a welder fixed to a base member of the undercarriage and a handle to move the welder and undercarriage manually between locations. Several different types of undercarriage designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,108,179; 3,237,051; 3,471,046; 3,682,342; 4,573,665; 4,738,582; 5,440,098; and 5,730,891, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In many instances, the welder is used out in the field where the ground surface is rough, unlevel, and/or is made up of different compositions. In such environments, many of the past undercarriages could not be used in such environments, or are difficult to use in such environments. Many prior undercarriages cannot be used in soft terrains since the wheels of the undercarriage sink into the ground due to the massive weight of the welder, which is typically several hundred pounds. In addition, many of these welders have a tendency to tip when moved over uneven terrain. These prior undercarriages are also difficult to maneuver over curbs or obstacles on a ground surface. The configuration of these undercarriages require the operator to move the fill weight of the undercarriage and the welder when maneuvering the undercarriage and welder over a curb or other obstacle on the ground surface. As a result, multiple operators are required to transport heavier welders.
In view of the deficiencies of past undercarriages, there is a need for an undercarriage for a welder and/or power supply which can be used in a wide variety of terrains, which provide improved stability when moving, and which can be easily maneuvered over curbs or other obstacles in a terrain thereby reducing the number of operators needed.